Manner of jointing railroad-rails



(No'ModeL) C. R. HASTINGS.

MANNER OF JOINTING RAILROAD RAILS.

No. 404,278. Patented May 28, 1889.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. HASTINGS, OF BUFFALO, NEIV YORK.

MANNER OF JOlNTlNG RAILROAD-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 404,278, dated May 28, 1889.

Application filed January 4, 1889. Serial No. 295,379. (No model.)

. tion of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon,

' which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to avoid the hammering of railroad-rails at their jointure by the swift passing of car-wheels over them as the rails are now constructed-that is, their ends (square) coming together, or nearly sowhich occasions the noise as well as wear and tear on rails at that .point, and also on the cartrucks, (to; and the invention as constructed and applied will be understood by reference to the following specification and claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a top plan of my jointed rails. Fig. 2 is a cross-section through line a: 00, Fig. 1, showing the attachment of the fish-plate; Fig. 3, cross-section through line y y of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, top plan of both rails separated; Fig. 5, perspective of one rail and plate; Fig. 6, side elevation of one rail, showing slotted bolt-holes.

A and B represent two rails, both having projecting portions at each end formed by dividing and cutting out the rail in the center of the face, a short distance from the end, leaving one side, A, representing one-half the end, extending over and beyond its base I), so as to rest on that part of the base Z) of the next rail, as shown, the base I) extending only about half-way under each part A or i. Each rail is made with a right-hand projection, A, at one end and a left-hand projection, B, at the other end, so as to joint with the next rail, and so on, and each projecting end A B placed side by side makes a continuous rail, and their ends resting on the opposite base 1) gives a firm foundation, so that wheels running over them will not especially wear and pound the rails at their joints. The two rails so jointed form a stronger portion of the roadway than the single rail itself, making it, in fact, a continuous rail. In order to firmly unite these rails at their jointure, I bolt a fish-plate, 0, thereto. This plate is oblong and fits in the side of the rail resting on the two opposite bases 1) 1). One rail end, B, has the ordinary round bolt-holes, and the end A has oblong holes (Z d, the bolts 0 c c passing through plate 0 and ends A and 13', held in place by the usual nuts, as shown in Fig. l.

The oblong holes d (Z (Z permit a slight play of the rail longitudinally to allow for any contraction and expansion of the rails.

The plate 0 has in addition a square lug, C, on the inside, (see Fig. 5,) and one rail, B, has a corresponding square slot, a, in the side of the rail, into which the lug O fits, a bolt, 0, going through the whole to aid in keeping all in place, the lug giving additional stability to the plate. Then this rail is moved back or forward by the frost, the plate and rail B, by reason of its round bolt-holes and the lug and slot, move together, and the other rail, A, having the oblong holes (Z (Z, allows this movement. the rails proper,before the projection begins, are made of the same thickness from face to base to give greater solidity at this point, and in this part on one the slot at is made. (See Figs. 2, 5, and 6.)-

Railroad-rails having their ends constructed with the half-rail projections A B, adapted to break joints by overlapping each other and fitting closely side by side, each projection resting on the base I) of the opposite rail, and the two rails held together by the plate 0, having a square lug, O, on'the inside and fittingin a slot, a, in theside of the rail B, and the usual bolts, 0 c, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

I11 testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES R. HASTINGS.

\Vitnesscs:

J. R. DRAKE, E. P. THAYER.

The rails near the ends of 

